By Alan Hirsch
DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) is given lot of lip service in progressive circles in Yolo County. But it can turn performative – especial if those in power have already made up their mind on a solution and don’t want to be contradicted- i.e. surface and take in to account diverse opinions.
That is what has been at play for Yolo County on Yolo80 widening with local electeds having made up their mind 3 years ago to add toll lanes to a 17 mile stretch of I-80. After that they have worked to turn the legally required public process into a check the box exercise, excluding diverse view point from being considered– even when the diverse viewpoints are backed by top transportation experts from UC Davis.
We are now at the end-stage where Davis Mayor/Yolo Transportation District Chair Josh Chapman is overtly discouraging public participation: he said openly it don’t matter what members of Davis public think — hiding the fact the project is not yet fully funded and public input to the California Transportation Commission (CTC) can still make a difference.
This DEI hypocrisy in Yolo County will continue unless people call out the hypocrisy. The public can be heard at the CTC’s Equity Committee meeting Wednesday. It is especially focused on this behavior like this by in local transportation jurisdictions.
Emails are needed to the “CTC-EAC” (California Transportation Commission- Equity Advisory Committee) to note the performative nature of Yolo80 Environmental process (Caltrans District 3 and YoloTD) – and also to oppose funding the new toll lanes until the process is made truly diverse and inclusive in the search for a solution.
Write to CTC@catc.ca.gov Subject: Equity and: Funding widening Yolo80 with Toll Lanes.
Issues to note to the Equity Committee: (cut and paste into email?)
No Inclusivity: Caltrans and Yolo County officials did not engage important stakeholder groups in the Environmental Review process for Yolo80 (e.g. 9 of the 10 Transportation and CAP climate commissions in Yolo County were never engaged at any point. None were engaged for input on EIR study alternatives, or the final choice of final alternatives,
No inclusivity 2: No outreach was done to engage public at the so called “public hearing” on the Toll lane 4/9/24, i.e. it was not inclusive: Over 70,000 individuals drive this section a day and will be effected by toll, yet only 1 member of public attended or zoomed into the public hearing and commented orally or in writing– all other attendees and commentors at the so call “public” hearing were lobbyists politicians, trade association, or members of environmental groups.
No Environmental Justice: The tolls to use the new freeway lanes will be $10 to $15/day at rush hour according to SACOG/Yolo county transportation- an obvious inequity. Yet the FEIR alternative chosen for I-80 (HOT3+) provides insufficient funds for an Environmental Justice Component as forecast of toll revenue generated falls $2 Million short of what is called for to fund the FEIR mitigation plan. The plan gives toll-free preference to recreational groups of 3 going to Tahoe over local workers- but this has never been discussed or justified in any public forum..
Inequitable Representation: The new the Tolling authority board is setup so 50% of the users of this toll lanes will have no representative on it board (i.e. they live in Solano- the MTC region), While less than 8% of toll lane users- those that live in Yolo county that county will have a majority on the tolling authority. This is unequitable power will likely be reproduced in where and how toll revenue is spent and an environmental justice program, if one is ever funded.
Davisite 
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